Punishment

Although Thérèse and Laurent get away with the crime of murdering Camille, they do not escape punishment. However, the theme of punishment and different types of imprisonment appear throughout the novel. Thérèse finds her life with her aunt and sickly cousin a type of prison from early in her life. Though she has more freedom when they move to the country, she says that by then she was "already stupefied", so she could not even enjoy her freedom. Thérèse is so miserable in the prison of life with her adopted family, she thinks of throwing herself into the Seine. Her life changes when Laurent becomes her lover. Although her marriage to Camille is an obstacle to their love, she finally has an outlet for her passion. When the lovers get away with the murder of Camille, they escape suspicion and justice for...